Home is Where the Watchfire is
by Mel1592
Summary: Cole spends some time thinking about where his home really is


Title: Home is Where the Watchfire is Author: Mel Rating: G Spoilers: Possible small ones for "Remember When" Teaser: Cole does some thinking about where his home really is Feedback: Oh, please, feed me, feed me!!!  
  
  
  
This is my first Tracker fic. It's a short piece that takes place the night of the events of "Remember When." It's basically Cole's thoughts about Mel and where his home really is. I enjoy feedback, so go ahead, and feed me all you want.  
  
Cole came to the top of the stairs and started down the darkened hallway toward his room. As he neared it, he noticed that Mel's door was slightly ajar. Thinking for a moment, he decided to quietly close it. As he approached and quietly put his hand to the knob, he couldn't help briefly peering through the crack. He knew it might not be right, and felt a bit bad about it afterward, but it was only a brief glance, and she was under the covers, so it wasn't as though she weren't properly covered or anything like that. With the pale moonlight illuminating her sleeping form and glinting off of her blond hair, she had a beautiful, almost magical appearance. He was certain now that coming back had been the right decision. After all, what kind of future was there for him on Sar-Top? Spending the rest of his life alone on a cold, unfeeling, sometimes brutal prison satellite seemed a bleak and uninviting prospect. He'd been home when he was on Cirron, but he hadn't really felt at home. He'd been thinking about Mel ever since he'd left Earth; of how much he missed her and how empty his life seemed without her. He knew he had to go back to Earth. He'd remembered something he'd said while under the influence of the sodium pethanol at the mental hospital: "Home is where you are". Cirron would, of course, always be a part of him, but his home now was here, with Mel. In a strange sort of way, they'd become each other's family. His real family was gone because of Rhee, and Mel was also alone, except for Vic, but now they had each other. He began to think about his feelings. He knew he couldn't keep denying his attraction to Mel forever. The feelings he'd felt during that seminar weekend were still there, and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep chasing them away. He couldn't deny that since he'd come to know Mel, he'd felt things he hadn't felt since his wife died. Still, he was adamant with himself that he not become distracted from his mission, fearing that he would make a mistake that would allow the escapees to get an advantage over him and achieve whatever goals they had. But maybe, just maybe, he and Mel could find something that would work for right now. A physical relationship was still out of the question until he'd finished rounding up the fugitives, but perhaps they could start out slowly, with a more casual type of relationship, and then move on to a deeper one later. She'd told him before that, like Cirronians, humans sometimes spent years getting to know their mates before marriage, so maybe she would agree. They could occasionally do what humans called "going on a date" and perhaps even share a kiss once in a while. Then, once he completed his mission here, returned all of the fugitives to Sar-Top, and came back, the relationship could escalate and become more physical. He hoped that one day he'd possibly be able to take Mel as his mate, but even if that wasn't meant to be, and they could only be close friends and companions, he would be happy with that. He'd learned that there were several kinds of love, and that it was possible to for him to love Mel as a close friend, even if he couldn't take her as his mate. The important thing was that they remained an important part of each other's lives. Taking great pains to be quiet, he slid the door shut. He heard sounds of moving and stirring from the other side, and feared he'd accidentally awakened Mel, but after a few seconds, the sounds stopped, giving way to silence. He made his way down to his room, and as he entered, he looked around at this now familiar place with its computers and complex equipment. Here, he truly felt at home. Yes, there was a lot of work to be done yet, and many fugitives still to be captured, but with Mel's help, he could and would do it. He didn't know what the future held, but he did know that whatever happened, he wanted Mel to be a part of his life. He'd only known her for a little over one Earth year, but already, life without this beautiful, remarkable woman seemed empty, lonely and meaningless. It felt good simply to have someone in his life to care about him and be there for him, something he hadn't had since losing his wife. It was his and Mel's Cirronian natures that had drawn them together, but it was the bond they'd formed that made them want to stay together. Relationships like the one they had were rare. It was friendship, but at the same time, so much more than mere friendship. It amazed him that he could be millions of miles from Cirron, yet still feel so at home. Home, he realized, was where he was with someone who cared about him. It wasn't just one place, but wherever he made it. "Home is where you are" his mind repeated. And that home now was on Earth, with Mel. The humans had a saying, "home is where the heart is." For him, home was where Mel was, home was where the Watchfire was. 


End file.
